The biggest Yellowstone earthquake in recent times occurred on August 17, 1959. It was a 7.3-magnitude quake that caused over 28 fatalities and left $11 million in damage to highways and timber. The slide blocked the flow of the Madison River resulting in the creation of Quake Lake. Effects of the earthquake were also felt in Idaho and Wyoming.

The 1959 quake was the strongest and deadliest earthquake to hit Montana since the 1935-36 Helena earthquakes left 4 people dead.

The landscape of Yellowstone National Park is a manifestation of a hotspot below the crust of the Earth. Its hot springs and geysers make it among the most popular tourist attractions in the U.S. It is also riddled with fault lines, and earthquakes do occur. Image via Wikipedia.

Yellowstone National Park is riddled with faults, and thus earthquakes are common there. Image via USGS

Deborah Byrd created EarthSky as a radio series in 1991 and founded this website in 1994. Today, Byrd still blogs at EarthSky.org, helps write its popular daily Tonight series and serves as overall editor-in-chief. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and as a vital tool for the 21st century. Astrophysics, the night sky and imagining space travel remain among her most enduring lifelong passions.